Deaths of Male College Students-General Discussion #6

[Crazyjster]

It could also be like a uber driver driving from city to city driving for uber. He could easily say "we're going to pick up another party before we drop you off OK?" And then some how the driver takes him to a location where a person or several people he thinks will be jumping in the car open the door and pull him out and take him to their location or they transfer the victim to a van where they take him to their location. The uber driver probably drives a SUV or BMW like I said and makes enough money to check into a hotel at night but is coming and going from heavily populated areas like universities and college towns.

I posted a similar theory but using one as a taxi driver...in Boston back in the late 90s there was a man going into bars and buying girls drinks and spiking them with ghb and later posing as a cab driver offering to drive them home and then assaulting them.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Interesting theory. It got me thinking. Instead of multiple killers belonging to a single travelling group, and acting together, might there be individual killers linked by an Internet fantasy website on the dark web? That would explain why similar deaths occur throughout the country. Some may even travel to college communities further from home on their days off from work to lure victims to their deaths, or do so while travelling for work or on vacation. They could share their fantasies and experiences with each other online, which would account for the similarities in the deaths. Just a thought.

This is what I think is most likely explanation for the geographic spread currently.. The first "smiley face" comes up in 1997. The "world wide web" was growing at the same time.

 

[glamourkitty1922]

I don't know, it looks like an urban legend to me and to the FBI and most police as well. https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/did-smiley-face-killers-murder-hundreds-young-men-or-myth

 

[Puffer Fish]

From 2002 to 2016 there has been a suspicious series of drownings in the Northern part of Minnesota. Young men between the ages of 16 to 22 have simply disappeared, their bodies often turning up in rivers. In most of these cases it is difficult to determine whether the deaths were accidental or were a result of murder. Could all these deaths just be a coincidence, or is there a serial killer?

<modsnip>

Some of these deaths have also happened in the nearby part of Wisconsin.

College guys in this area do drink a lot of alcohol, and there are a lot of lakes and rivers in this region of the country, which is probably why police have been so quick to write the deaths off as accidental. It is a little unsettling though.

Most all of the teens / young men appear to have a similar sort of appearance, what some might consider to be kind of attractive, so (although that's pretty flimsy evidence to go on) that does suggest there might be a sexual motive if these deaths were intentional killings.


Apparently they made a short TV series about it too:

"An old theory behind a series of Minnesota drownings ruled as 'accidental' will be back in the spotlight this weekend.

The theory of the "Smiley Face Killer" is an eerie one. White college-age, Midwestern men go missing for days, sometimes weeks, only to be found drowned in a body of water somewhere after a night at the bar, usually with a graffitied smiley face nearby. More than 40 cases with similarities to this have been reported in a 20 year span along I-94. The urban legend states that serial killer roams the I-94 corridor from Fargo to Detroit searching for their next victim."​

"Minnesota 'Smiley Face Killer' Subject of a New TV Series", January 18, 2019
Minnesota 'Smiley Face Killer' Subject of a New TV Series

 

[JudgeJoe]

From 2002 to 2016 there has been a suspicious series of drownings in the Northern part of Minnesota. Young men between the ages of 16 to 22 have simply disappeared, their bodies often turning up in rivers. In most of these cases it is difficult to determine whether the deaths were accidental or were a result of murder. Could all these deaths just be a coincidence, or is there a serial killer?

<modsnip>

Some of these deaths have also happened in the nearby part of Wisconsin.

College guys in this area do drink a lot of alcohol, and there are a lot of lakes and rivers in this region of the country, which is probably why police have been so quick to write the deaths off as accidental. It is a little unsettling though.

Most all of the teens / young men appear to have a similar sort of appearance, what some might consider to be kind of attractive, so (although that's pretty flimsy evidence to go on) that does suggest there might be a sexual motive if these deaths were intentional killings.


Apparently they made a short TV series about it too:

"An old theory behind a series of Minnesota drownings ruled as 'accidental' will be back in the spotlight this weekend.

The theory of the "Smiley Face Killer" is an eerie one. White college-age, Midwestern men go missing for days, sometimes weeks, only to be found drowned in a body of water somewhere after a night at the bar, usually with a graffitied smiley face nearby. More than 40 cases with similarities to this have been reported in a 20 year span along I-94. The urban legend states that serial killer roams the I-94 corridor from Fargo to Detroit searching for their next victim."​

"Minnesota 'Smiley Face Killer' Subject of a New TV Series", January 18, 2019
Minnesota 'Smiley Face Killer' Subject of a New TV Series

To drown someone, wouldn’t there be bruising to show they were held down or tied down? Were there marks or scrapes or bruising on any if these bodies?

Welcome to WS, Puffer Fish!

 

[Puffer Fish]

To drown someone, wouldn’t there be bruising to show they were held down or tied down? Were there marks or scrapes or bruising on any if these bodies?

I would imagine by the time they found the bodies there had been too much decomposition to tell.

Scrapes/bruising can also be caused by other things, with a body being carried down a river. Most of these are shallow rivers with a lot of rocks.

 

[JudgeJoe]

I would imagine by the time they found the bodies there had been too much decomposition to tell.

Scrapes/bruising can also be caused by other things, with a body being carried down a river. Most of these are shallow rivers with a lot of rocks.

True, rocks & such would definitely leave marks. But handprints on a shoulder or face would be distinct. It’s a creepy thing going on up there for sure.

 

[TroyinTX]

I saw a theory awhile ago that these guys were being drowned before being put in these bodies of water. The theory went that they were they being drowned in bathtubs. If the killer put the person in a full bathtub and then grabbed the victims' feet and pulled them under, there would be no bruising around the neck, face, arms or whatever. Very plausible.

 

[BeachBabe000]

I saw a theory awhile ago that these guys were being drowned before being put in these bodies of water. The theory went that they were they being drowned in bathtubs. If the killer put the person in a full bathtub and then grabbed the victims' feet and pulled them under, there would be no bruising around the neck, face, arms or whatever. Very plausible.

Interesting thought, especially since some of the victims decomposition did not match how long they had been missing. The medical examiner could test the water in the lungs of the victims, see if it was from the river or tap water and I hope they do when another body is found. If this is a group of serial killers, they wont stop.

 

[BeachBabe000]

Does anyone know if they tried to track his cell phone that he lost that night? They must figure it was in the river but it would be interesting to know for sure

 

[HMSHood]

I heard about so-called smiley face killer years ago. If there is a killer involved, it is likely a team.

 

[Ichonel]

It's still awful and how much more can happen. How to protect yourself ??? Horror

 

[catlarmen]

Is it possible that someone has a overview map of all of these particular disappearances? That would be helpful in comparing the map that David Paulides has created for areas of missing people.

 

[Chloebear3]

Is it possible that someone has a overview map of all of these particular disappearances? That would be helpful in comparing the map that David Paulides has created for areas of missing people.

I do have a database of the victims and possible victims. I haven’t placed them on a map yet. That is a great idea to compare with the Missing 411 maps. I may start working on that.

 

[Quoththeraven]

Body of missing UW-La Crosse student found in Mississippi River

Mar. 17, 2022 at 9:55 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hours ago

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) - The body of a missing UW-La Crosse student is found in the Mississippi River.

La Crosse Police said the La Crosse Fire Department found the body of 25-year-old Hamud Faal near the Division Street landing in about 25 feet of water at 4 p.m. Thursday, according to a release.

Police said that they are investigating the death and waiting for the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Faal was last seen February 20 at 3:37 a.m. walking alone on Front Street south of Jay Street, less than a half-mile from the area where his body was found in the river. He was reported missing the next day. Searches with volunteers were organized in the days after Faal went missing.

 

[borndem]

It's still awful and how much more can happen. How to protect yourself ??? Horror

Welcome to Websleuths,
Ichonel !! ​

 

[Emerald529]

This is my first post on WS after several years of following a few cases (i.e., lurking) so please forgive me if I mess it up. I just happened upon this thread and it rung a bell for a recent case in Alabama. He definitely fits the victimology.

Questions remain after Alabama student Garrett Walker found dead

In addition, the case of Jelani Day in Illinois is disturbingly similar even though it doesn’t completely fit the usual MO (bar, drinking). If there are connections in many of the cases, it is possibly still going strong. I would be very interested in seeing a map of all the locations of possibly connected incidents.

 

[U2forever]

Questions remain after Alabama student Garrett Walker found dead

Reading this article broke my heart. I feel so bad for his family.

 

[DrQ]

The map idea sounds great. Alabama GW found (IMO) has a lot more information to come. News release above was vague on cause of death. Peculiar mention of lawsuit. Unfortunately, bad things can happen with or without being with friends and getting separated from a group can also lead to trouble. IMO the focus is generally on female victims because they are the primary cases. However, these missing young men (with some similar patterns to the incidents) goes to show that men can be as vulnerable to becoming a victim. I'm interested in what the mapping shows.

 

[TotallyTricia]

Another College Student goes missing a week ago. (Not found as of yet) ...

Police in Minnesota are searching for a missing college student who was last seen near the Mississippi River, WCCO-TV reports.

Austin Ray Retterath was reported missing early Sunday in Minneapolis, according to an alert from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

The 19-year-old is a student at the University of Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering.

Police believe Retterath was last seen near the Mississippi River at the intersection of East River Road and Franklin Avenue, which is near the university’s Minneapolis campus.